Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Saturday said aimless and hasty arrests, locking up undertrial prisoners in jail for long spells and making it almost impossible for them to get bail are proof that the system is in dire need of an overhaul.
"In our criminal justice system, the process is the punishment. From hasty indiscriminate arrests, to difficulty in obtaining bail, the process leading to the prolonged incarceration of undertrials needs urgent attention," Chief Justice Ramana said in a scathing comment on the onslaught on human rights.
The CJI said it is a "grave issue" that 80% of the 6.10 lakh prisoners across the country are undertrials. The top judge said time has come to question the procedures which result in such prolonged incarceration without trial.
